Rockford... On
July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure the civil rights of people with disabilities.
This legislation established a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the
elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
“The signing of House Bill 4049 is a great step forward for
the disability community. With a signature Illinois laws will now reflect the
language being used by individuals with disabilities who make up 20 percent of
the population. In taking this step the State of Illinois is recognizing the
work of advocates in the Disability Rights movement across the country to elevate,
educate, and infiltrate individuals with disabilities to equal status at all
levels of the communities in which they live. Disability Rights ARE Civil
Rights.”
House Bill 4049 removes antiquated language from current
statutes in Illinois and replaces those terms with Person First Language. For
example, the law changes all occurrences of "the physically
handicapped" to "persons with physical disabilities", changes
all occurrences of "the handicapped" or "handicapped
persons" or "handicapped individuals" to "persons with
disabilities", and changes all occurrences of "handicapping condition"
to "disabling condition".
“I was honored that RAMP reached out to me to carry this
monumental legislation,” said Rep. Cabello. “Their staff is always going above
what is asked to help the community and I deeply appreciate their effort to get
this legislation passed. It’s important we continue to recognize the progress
that has been made through ADA and that we strive towards reaching full ADA
compliance in Illinois.”
House Bill 4049 has an immediate effective date.